It'll Work
by LSMunch
Summary: Jack McCoy has a reputation to protect after CLaire's death, but does he really fall in love? JMJR


Disclaimer: Sadly, i do not own Law and Order, nor will i ever. This immense pleasure belongs to Mr. Dick Wolf, of whom i have great respect for.

Now, on with the show.

His dark hair was virtually invisible underneath all the gray and his eyes a dark brown, nearly black. They were kind, but there was a sort of sad look to them. Thick, dark brown eyebrows hovered on his forehead. The bridge of his nose was well defined and gave accent to the rest of his features. He was clean-shaven and his mouth owned small lines at the corners. They were crinkles in the corners of his eyes that scrunched up when he smiled or laughed. He was an ambitious person; his job called for it. He was the Executive Assistant District Attorney for the County of New York and did his work well. Many murderers were in jail due to him. Although Jack McCoy was aggressive in court, he was kind and caring at home or around his friends.

Jack wasn't married to a woman; he was married to his work. Being a lawyer made it hard to be in that kind of relationship, especially with the long hours Jack worked. He did occasionally go out with a woman, but it never lasted. What made his job harder was the fact that he was attracted to his partner ADA, Jamie Ross. He technically could go out with her, since she was divorced legally. The only thing to be sorted out in the divorce was custody of her daughter. He wanted Jamie to gain custody of her daughter from her ex, Neil, as much as she did. She was a good lawyer and a beautiful, wonderful woman.

Jack was sitting in his office, reviewing some evidence they had for a case. It was going well, and unless something came up, Jack would be home relatively early. He finished with a sigh and stood, stretching his tired limbs. He threw on his coat, picked up his briefcase and walked out of his office, turning off the lights as he did so. Walking down the hallway, he noticed that there was still a light on in Jamie's office. Curious as to why Jamie was still here, he went over and knocked on the closed door. Not hearing an answer, he let himself in.

Jamie was lying on her couch, asleep. Jack stood in the doorway for a minute, looking at her with a small smile on his lips. Putting down his briefcase, he moved to the side of the couch and leaned over. "Jamie. Time to go to work," he said, gently shaking her shoulder. She opened her eyes and when she saw him, nearly bolted off the couch.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I'd like to ask the same of you, Jamie. I was just leaving when I saw the light on. Why were you sleeping on your couch?"

"I was working on some stuff for my case against Neil and I laid down to rest for a moment." She glanced at her watch. "Apparently, I did more than rest for a moment."

"Why don't you go home, Jamie. You're going to need to sleep in your own bed if you want to kick Neil's ass." Jack picked up his briefcase and stood in the doorway.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Good night, Jack."

"Good night, Jamie. Good luck tomorrow." He left and continued his way down the corridor. He pressed the down button on the elevator and went down to the first floor, going over his meeting with Jamie in his head. Leaving the building, he walked down the street briskly, not wanting to be out on the sidewalk for too long. Upon reaching his apartment building, he greeted the doorman and went up to his apartment and collapsed on his sofa. He lay there for a few minutes, resting and then hauled himself up to undress. He put on a white T-shirt and sweatpants. Jack walked into the small kitchen and put a pot of tea on the stove.

Sitting in a chair around the table, he pulled the day's newspaper towards him. He flipped through, not really looking at was there. The teapot whistled and he poured himself a cup, sipping at it lightly. "Ahh," he said, feeling the warmth flood his senses. During the day he would drink coffee, but when he was at home, especially at night, he would drink tea. He found that it calmed him after a hard day and that it took the winter cold out of his bones.

He sank back into the chair and held the cup in his hands, trying to take the chill out of them. It had been an especially cold winter and when he walked home at night, he always entered his apartment chilled to the bone. It was almost a ritual for him to make a pot of tea as soon as he changed out of his suit. Finishing his tea, he put it in the sink and went into his bedroom. He turned on his radio, making sure the volume wasn't too loud and went to bed, falling asleep quickly.

Jack sat in his office, eating lunch. He had just finished talking to the defendant in a murder trial at Rikers. The man was being tried for the murder of a fifteen-year old boy. Jack wasn't feeling so good; he never did after visiting Rikers, even though he knew everyone who was there belonged in jail. He sipped at a cup of cold soda. Normally he would drink coffee with lunch, but he had gotten soup and he didn't want to drink hot coffee while eating hot soup.

"Hey, Jack." Jamie walked into his office and fell into a chair. In one hand, she held her bag, in the other, a plastic take-out bag.

"It didn't go well?"

"No. How did your meeting with McLaine go?"

"He didn't want the offer. I told him what he's facing now, but he doesn't care. At least the jury will put him away for good. I know they will."

"You say that every case, Jack."

He smiled. "And for the most part, the jury does put them away."

She shook her head, smiling. She sat up and opened the take-out bag. She pulled out two Styrofoam containers, setting them on the table. Next, she took out a bottle of Coke and unscrewed the lid, taking a sip before she set it on the table. "Why doesn't he want to take the deal?" she asked, opening the larger Styrofoam container.

"His lawyer is convinced that she has the jury wrapped around her finger. She says all she has to do is make her closing and the jury will set McLaine free. I doubt it." He stopped eating and stood up, digging through a stack of papers. He pulled out a yellow piece of paper with some notes scribbled on it. He handed it to Jamie. "Read this."

She took it and put it on her lap, wiping her hands with a napkin. "What is this?" she asked.

"That is exactly what McLaine said during the first meeting we had with him." Jack handed her another piece of paper. "This is what he said today." He waited as she read the information placed before her. "Notice anything?"

"His story doesn't match up. Over here he says that he was two blocks from the scene and today he says that he was out of town, at his mother's."

"Exactly. I think it's time to pay dear old mother a visit."

Jack came home exhausted and cold, the day having taken its toll on him. He made himself tea and collapsed into the sofa after carefully setting his cup on the coffee table. Propping himself up on a couple pillows, he reached for his tea and took a sip, sighing as he felt it warm him immediately. He finished the cup of tea slowly, savoring its warmth and taste and put it back on the table. Then he lay back and closed his eyes, resting. A few hours later, he awoke with a start, shaking and sweaty. He sat up with his legs over the side of the couch. He rubbed his eyes, pressing the heels of his hands into his eyes, trying to remember what dream he had been having. An odd dream, one where he and Jamie had been married it seemed and they had had two children, her little girl and one of their own. It seemed she had been killed in a car accident on the way home from work in the middle of the night.

It was then that Jack bolted off the sofa and into the kitchen, grabbing the phone off its hook. Frantically, he dialed Jamie's number and waited anxiously, hoping his dream had been just that. The answering machine picked up, but Jack didn't bother to leave a message. He hung up and dialed the hospital. "Hello. Have there been any accidents involving a 35 year old woman?"

"Who is this?" the receptionist asked.

"District Attorney Jack McCoy. Now have there been any accidents?"

"No, sir, there hasn't."

Jack let out a sigh of relief. Thank God, he thought. "Thank you." He pushed the off button on the phone and put it on the counter. Thinking she might still be at the office, he calmly dialed the number and waited for someone to pick up.

"Hello?" It was a woman's voice.

"Jamie, it's me Jack."

"Hey Jack. What are you calling me for?"

"Nothing. Just thought that you might still be at the office. Why are you still there? There's no work to be done on the McLaine case."

"Working on my case against Neil. Why are you calling me at this hour anyway?"

Jack realized he would have to make something up quick, unless he could let the truth be known. No, not yet. "The best work you can do against Neil right now is to sleep. I can't have a half-dead assistant if I want to get McLaine in jail and you can't be half-dead if you expect to gain custody. Just making sure you can kick more than one jerk's ass."

There was a brief pause before, "You're right. I should get home. Thanks, Jack."

"Good night." And with that he finally put the phone back on its hook, sagging against the counter as he realized what time it was. There was a smile on his face, as well as a relieved look. His eyes, which had been worried a moment before, were now soft and half closed. He went back into the living room and sat on the sofa, knowing that he should probably go into his bedroom to finish the night, but he wanted to stay in the living room for some reason. He fell asleep thinking that he wanted to be with Jamie for a long time.

A week later...

"So we put McLaine in jail."

"I told you the jury would convict him. You doubted it, remember?" He sipped at his wine, looking over the rim of the glass at Jamie Ross.

"Yes. You're right, I doubted you." She, too, sipped her wine, looking at him over the rim of the glass. She set down the glass and started to trace a finger around the rim, looking into the deep red wine, a small smile playing on her lips. Jack was smiling fully, happy with the victory in court that day. That was part of the reason why they were eating dinner at a restaurant, to celebrate. He watched her and he was about to say something when their food arrived. He thanked the waiter and they began to eat in silence.

"Why did you doubt that we could put McLaine away?" Jack asked, trying to take some of the silence out of the picture.

"Oh, I guess it's just because you were acting so cocky about it. You act like that a lot, and you don't always put the person away. I don't know. I guess I believed him more than you." She took a bite of food and chewed it slowly.

"We don't always put the person away, you're right. But I'm not always cocky, as you put it."

She looked up, smiling. "Really? You sure fooled me."

He smiled as well. "Okay. I get it." They fell into silence again, the only sound being that of utensils and the other restaurant customers. They were almost done when Jamie spoke.

"Jack, you've been acting different lately."

"How so?"

"You seem to be worried about me and making sure I get sleep so I can be well rested for the case against Neil."

Jack pushed some food around his plate, uncomfortable with the conversation. "I'm a colleague that you spend a lot of time with, and a friend who cares about you kicking Neil's ass."

"It's more than that. I don't know exactly, but it feels like you're...attracted to me." She looked at him and he raised his head to return the gaze.

"How would you react if I was attracted to you?" he tried tentatively.

"I would say that you're a great guy and I would love to be involved with you that way. One problem."

"We work together and you have a daughter to take care of. That's two. As far as I'm concerned, only the second is a minor difficulty. I love kids and I don't mind."

"Wait a minute, Jack. What did we just agree on?"

He cleared his throat. "Jamie, would you like to go out with me, say tomorrow at seven?"

She laughed a little at his way of going about things. "Of course, Jack. Of course."

"Great. Dessert?"

"Why not." They pushed their plates to the side and Jack called for the waiter. They ordered dessert and ate slowly, talking amiably about things only briefly mentioned before. By the end of dessert, they both knew a lot more about each other than they did when they had first walked into the restaurant. Jack and Jamie parted at her apartment, after a silent cab ride. It wasn't that they had run out of things to say, it's just that they were too absorbed in the new feelings they had allowed themselves to become subject to. The fact that they were also absorbed in the other's eyes helped to keep the silence loving as well as strange.

Jack walked home in pure bliss. Jamie's apartment was only a few blocks from his, so he paid the cab driver, who winked at him, and walked home smiling, though still on the alert. He didn't put a pot of tea on the stove like he usually did; instead he went to his room and turned on the radio. He put it on louder than he normally did and undressed, changing into his flannel pajamas. When it came to sleeping, Jack liked to be as comfortable as possible, especially when it was cold outside. He enjoyed the soft feel of flannel against his skin in the winter. Jack fell back onto his bed; smile still planted on his face. He fell asleep like that and didn't wake until his alarm had been beeping for almost a half-hour.

Noticing the time, he shot out of bed and quickly dressed and ate a small breakfast, feeling energy that he hadn't felt for years coursing through his body. He threw on his coat, grabbed his bag and nearly ran to the office, making sure to walk up to his office in order to regain his breath. He was still first, as usual, despite his late awakening. He could feel his smile and energy radiating through his office and began to work, checking appointments for the day and reading over some documents Jamie had given him the day before.

"Good morning," he greeted Jamie as she entered with two cups of coffee around eight. "Sleep well?"

"Like I've never slept before. You?"

"Same. Thanks for the coffee."

"Sure. What are we doing today?" she asked, seating herself in a chair.

"A meeting with Ladislav at ten. His lawyer wants to deal." He sipped at the hot coffee, appreciating its warmth and taste. His suit coat was draped across the back of his chair and his tie was loosened.

"I have another meeting with Neil at one. I'll probably be back by two, I hope. I have some files to type up before my meeting with Neil, so I'll see you at ten?"

"See you then." Jack resumed working, still with a small smile on his lips. He worked the morning away, quickly, but thoroughly going over some cases, including Ladislav's. By ten, he had done twice the work he usually did by lunch, wasn't even tired and was prepared for his meeting with Ladislav. He stood, stretched and threw on his suit jacket. Picking up his briefcase, he left his office and went over to Jamie's smaller one. He knocked on the doorframe since the door was open. "You ready?" he asked.

"As always. Let's go."

"Where are we going?"

"It's a surprise," Jack answered. He drove well through the New York traffic. It was later that day and they had managed to get off by seven, at which point they cleaned up and got into Jack's car. Though he didn't usually drive to work, he had that morning in order to drive to the restaurant he was taking Jamie to. They passed many restaurants, including some that Jack had been to before. Finally, he pulled into a parking lot and got out of the car, walking over to the passenger side and opening her door. He held out his hand and she took it, getting out of the car gracefully.

He closed the door behind her and offered his arm, which she took and they walked to the door where a doorman opened the glass and silver door. Jack nodded to the man and they proceeded inside until they reached a woman at a booth. "Two?" she asked.

"Yes." Jamie and Jack followed the woman into a large room filled with tables of varying sizes. The woman set two menus on a table and Jack led Jamie to her seat. Once she was settled, he took his seat and opened his menu. Jamie looked around a moment before she opened hers. They sat in silence for a few minutes before a waiter came and they ordered drinks.

"Surprise."

"Jack, this is beautiful. How did you find this place?"

"It wasn't hard, being an inquisitive, intelligent lawyer with connections." He smiled and Jamie smiled back, unable to resist. Whenever Jack smiled, she couldn't help but join him. Something about him made her want to smile all the time, at least when they weren't at work, but even there at times. They spent a few more minutes in silence until the waiter brought their wine and they ordered food. The waiter took the menus and Jack and Jamie were left to look at each other.

Suddenly, Jack stopped smiling. His face became hard set and he straightened, hands clenched. "Jack, are you okay?"

"Do you know why you're here?" His voice was hard, but sad at the same time.

"To have dinner."

"No, I mean in the office. Do you know why you started to work with me?" He seemed so sad.

"All I know is that Claire Kincaid, who worked with you before, died. I don't know anything else."

"She died in a car accident. One that I could've prevented. Lennie Briscoe, Claire, a couple others and I had to witness an execution. We all reacted differently, but we all ended up at some bar. Lennie's not supposed to drink. He got drunk and Claire was driving him home. A few weeks before, she had asked to resign. I talked her out of it. I could've prevented her death. I suppose I should tell you before you find out from someone else. Claire and I had been romantically involved for a while." His eyes were sad, as was his voice and gestures.

"My God, Jack. I'm so sorry. Why didn't I ever know about any of this?  
"You didn't need to know to do your job. You know, when I first met you, I wasn't too happy. Your daughter was in daycare and you were going through a custody battle that still goes on today. I needed someone who could put in all the hours and not have to worry about anyone else. How wrong I was. I made a mistake judging you that day and I'm sorry because you are as good a worker as Claire was and you have a daughter to take care of and a custody issue on top of that. I'm sure glad you didn't judge me like I did you."

"Jack, I do the work because I want those jerks to be in prison as much as you do. I want my daughter to grow up safe, even though that's a hard thing to do in this city. I actually did judge you. As a workaholic who didn't have much of a social or love life. I was wrong, to a certain extent. It's behind us so let's eat and start a relationship that's more than work partners or friends."

"Thanks," he said appreciatively and he meant it. He hadn't expected to shut down at dinner tonight. The memory of him and Claire doing this same thing was too much for a few moments. All he needed was someone to pull him out of it and Jamie had done that. Whenever it happened at home though, he didn't have someone to snap him out of it. Usually he went the rest of the night at home feeling very alone and sad and it wasn't until he saw Jamie the next morning did he feel better.

"Thank you," he heard Jamie say and realized the waiter and served their food. He began eating and enjoyed his food and the conversation. He and Jamie talked about a lot and not once did either of them mention work. They were surprised at how much they actually had in common, other than the obvious. By the time they ordered dessert, they were worn out from talking. They shared the large ice cream topped brownie in silence, lost in their thoughts of the other. Everything was thoroughly enjoyed and Jack paid the bill and they left, climbing back into Jack's car.

"Where to now?" Jack asked. He had planned up to this point but hadn't decided where they would go after the restaurant.

Jamie looked at her watch. It was almost 9:30. "Actually, I should get home to check on ."

"Off we go then." He started the car and they drove off, Jack managing traffic expertly. When they reached her apartment building, he opened her door and held out his arm, just as he had done at the restaurant. He walked her up to her apartment and they stood outside the door for a moment. She opened the door and went in, asking Jack to come in as well. The TV was on and Jack could see blond hair over the back of the sofa.

"Beth, we're back," Jamie said, but the girl on the sofa didn't move. "Beth?" Jamie walked around the front and nearly screamed. Jack rushed over. Jamie turned to Jack with fear in her eyes and ran into her daughter's room. Jack looked at the girl on the sofa who had a bullet through her chest. Jamie screamed from the other room. Jack ran towards the sound and found what he hoped he wouldn't.

Jamie's daughter was lying in bed, peacefully asleep, or so it seemed. Upon closer examination, he found that there was a bullet hole in her chest and marks on her neck. Jamie had tears running down her face as she stood, rigid, by the side of the bed. Jack walked over and put his arms around her. She turned to him and buried herself in his lean frame. He patted her back and rested his chin on her head.

"Jamie, we have to call the police. You know that. Come on." His voice was soft, almost a whisper. She looked up at him and they went into the kitchen. Jack quickly dialed the number and soon the house was swarming with CSU teams and then two detectives showed up. "Hey, Detectives. Could I see you over here?" They nodded and walked over to where Jack indicated.

"So, what happened Counselor?" Lennie asked.

"We went out to dinner and came back here to check on her daughter. We walked in and the TV was on and the girl, Beth, was on the couch. Jamie went over and there was the hole in her chest. She ran into her daughter's bedroom and screamed. I ran in and found her daughter with a whole in her chest and marks around her neck."

"That's all Counselor?" Rey asked.

"Yes, of course." Jack went over to where Jamie was sitting. She was no longer crying and her face was clean. Jack pulled up a chair next to her. "Jamie," he said softly. She turned to look at him. "Where are you going to stay?"

"I don't know. I have to tell Neil what happened."

"You can stay with me if you can't find a place to stay."

"Okay." Her voice sounded dead and she looked so sad, like the world had collapsed around her.

"Jamie, it's going to be okay. Lennie and Rey will take care of it. Look how many they've given us to put in jail already. They'll catch him. I promise." He took her hand, which was on her knee. "Come to my apartment tonight. You can't possibly spend the rest of the night here."

"Okay." They rose together. Lennie and Rey okayed their leaving, since they knew where to find them during the day. Jack led Jamie to his car and they got in, driving the few blocks to Jack's building. He walked slowly up to his apartment, Jamie holding his hand. Jack unlocked the door and they went inside. He sat her down on his couch.

"Would you like something to drink?" he asked.

"No, that's okay." Jack left her on the couch and went to make himself some tea. He put in extra water just in case she changed her mind. When the tea was ready, he poured himself a cup and went into the living room.

"Are you sure you wouldn't like some tea or anything?" He was trying to make her as comfortable as possible under the circumstances.

"I'll have some tea," she said after a long pause.

"All right." He went into the kitchen and poured her a cup as well. He went back into the living room to find her in tears again. He set down the cup and sat down next to her. He held her and she cried into his shirt. He remembered that when he was little and had gotten hurt, his mother would rub his back to make him feel better. He decided to try it on Jamie. He rubbed her back and she got quieter and quieter until she had stopped crying. She turned her head so the side was resting on Jack's chest. "Thank you," she whispered.

"Anytime, Jamie." He laid his head on top of hers. "I just wish that this hadn't happened." Jamie could feel his voice rumble in his chest and travel up before it came out of his mouth as a gravelly whisper. It was soothing. She let her head rest there for a few more minutes before straightening and leaving his embrace. She looked into his eyes and saw the pain and love in them.

"What are we doing tomorrow?" she asked.

"You can stay here. I won't make you go to work. You need time before you can." His voice was soft and caring, so unlike the hard voice she heard all day at work. He pulled a leg up onto the couch so he could sit sideways. Reaching across to her, he took her hand in his. "I count myself as your friend as well as colleague. I'll be here for you always. When I make friends, I keep them and treat them very well. I'm not as good with women as I am with friends, but I intend to change, with your help. You may think that I'm attracted to you because you remind me of Claire, but I've felt this way for a long time. Even when we disagreed over a case, I felt so idiotic for fighting about it.

"I'm here for you, and even though the first date ended in tragedy, I'd like to continue this relationship in the light. I believe this night will bind us forever, either in friendship or in love. I hope for both. I hope that you will follow me, or rather, lead beside me." He finished and looked into her eyes. They were filled with so many emotions; it was hard to tell what she was feeling.

"Oh, Jack. I think this relationship will go far. What you just explained, is how I feel about you and have since I started working with you." She leaned in to kiss him and their lips met, sending a surge of emotion through both. They pulled away, breathless.

END

A/N: THis was a one shot. I have no wish to take it further. If you want to, go ahead. Now,i thank you for reading and i would love you even more if you reviewed, for reviews help me think of more stories. THank you.


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